Headlines: Ko Wenzhe calls himself a dark green and wants to turn Taiwan into a "normal country" if he is elected, but the prospect of winning is worrying.
As the countdown to Taiwan's 2024 election begins, the ideological lines of the candidates of the major parties are gradually becoming clearer. However, Ko Wenzhe, chairman of the People's Party, who has always been at the bottom of various polls, no longer hides his true thoughts. He openly stated that he was dark green, and said that after being elected, he would turn Taiwan into a so-called "normal country". However, this statement immediately caused fierce controversy on the island, and Ko's previous contradictory remarks were also seen as a political ploy for him to adjust his course to win votes. At the same time, however, Ko's prospects of victory are in jeopardy, as his approval ratings have continued to slip and there is a huge gap between him and other candidates. In this case, it remains to be seen whether Ko's change will lead to a victory.
In an exclusive interview, Ke Wenzhe made no secret of his dark green stance and said that he would follow Tsai Ing-wen's line after being elected. He said that in matters between Chinese mainland and the United States, he will choose cooperation, competition or confrontation as needed, and find a balance. This statement was intended to win over voters in the green camp, but it sparked a series of controversies on the island.
Ke Wenzhe's move was mainly influenced by the KMT, who made it clear that those who supported him were not allowed to make any show in the KMT, so as to avoid him getting the opportunity to get free**. As a result, Ko had no choice but to turn to the green camp and change his previous stance to win the support of voters. However, it remains to be seen whether such adjustments will succeed in attracting voters from the green camp.
Although Ko Wenzhe tried to adjust his cross-strait line, this could not hide his previous declining approval rating. Various polls show that Ke's support rate has slipped to 149%, which is a significant gap compared to other candidates. That means his chances of winning are slim.
Ko Wenzhe's readjustment of the cross-strait line may also have the opposite effect. He tried to win over the voters of the green camp, but Lai Qingde, as the main candidate of the green camp, has a very solid base, and the voters of the green camp will not be easily shaken. At the same time, due to the change in Ko's stance, voters in the blue camp who previously supported him may revert to other candidates. Therefore, Ke's adjustment may further weaken his election and give Hou Youyi a chance to win.
From the KMT's point of view, Ko Wenzhe's move to adjust the cross-strait line may be seen as good news. If Ke Wenzhe clashes with the Green Camp, it will increase the likelihood of Hou Youyi winning the election. The current poll results show that "Hou Kangpei" and "Lai Xiaopei" are evenly matched, and Ke Wenzhe's support rate is at the bottom, which means that the votes of the green camp voters will be dispersed, giving Hou Youyi a chance to win.
Of course, the results of various polls do not represent the final election results, and can only be used as a reference for the changing trend of public opinion. Ko Wenzhe's readjustment of the cross-strait line shows that he is not optimistic about his chances of winning the election and can only try the last chance to win a glimmer of life. However, this kind of political speculation is obviously unpopular, and it not only arouses the disgust of the blue camp voters, but also loses a lot of points on the mainland. At the same time, Ke Wenzhe said that he wants to turn Taiwan into a so-called "normal country", which is a situation that the mainland will resolutely not tolerate, and the consequences have been clearly stipulated in the "Anti-** State Law".
Ko calls himself a dark green and is trying to adjust his cross-strait line to win the support of voters. However, his declining approval ratings and the huge gap with other candidates have put his chances of victory in jeopardy. Ko's adjustment may further disperse the votes of the green camp voters, and at the same time arouse the resentment of the blue camp voters and the mainland. Still, the final election results will be tested by time, and it will be known what the fate of Ko will be until the results are announced.